The Week Ahead

January 21, 2006|The Morning Call

Preventing crime

An information session on preventing crime and ensuring a safe environment will be held 6:30-8:30 p.m. Monday at the Emmaus Public Library, 11 E. Main St. The session, held in partnership with the Emmaus Police Department and the Emmaus Main Street Program, was called in reaction to the wave of armed robberies at businesses across the Lehigh Valley. Police will give a presentation and there will be a question-and-answer session. For information and reservations, call 610-965-6279.

Homicide hearing

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday for a Lansdale woman who allegedly doused her best friend with vodka and then set her on fire inside her Skippack Township home last month. Janeske Vargas, 34, is charged with first-degree murder and could face the death penalty if convicted of killing 40-year-old Connie Bostic, Montgomery County prosecutors said. Vargas also is accused of covering up the crime by using her son to destroy evidence and by threatening a friend who gave her a ride home the night of the fire. The hearing will begin at 1 p.m. before Schwenksville District Judge Albert Augustine.

St. Francis' legacy

The Salesian Center for Faith and Culture at DeSales University will host a week of events to celebrate the legacy of St. Francis de Sales, patron of DeSales University. Among the events will be a presentation by the Baranzano Society of the Salesian Center on decisions involving terminally ill patients. That event will be held at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the Arena Stage at the Labuda Center. On Wednesday, the Rev. John Bartunek, the priest who was Mel Gibson's adviser on the film "The Passion of the Christ," will speak at 7:30 p.m. in the Iacocca Studios of the Labuda Center.

Interviews for mayor

Lansford Borough Council at 6:30 p.m. Monday will interview five candidates for mayor at the borough community center on Ridge Street. An appointed mayor is needed because Joseph Genits, who was elected to both a council seat and the mayor's office in November, chose to take the council seat. Council expects to decide who gets the job when it meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The candidates are borough businessman Bob Silver, a Democrat; Republican John Racko; Carolyn Mikulka, listed as nonpartisan; Mary Kruczek, a Democrat; and Elmer W. Heffelfinger, a Republican.

Sharpton to speak

The Rev. Al Sharpton will be the keynote speaker at Lehigh University's Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebration at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Baker Hall. Sharpton's speech, free and open to the public, will address King's work, his legacy, and how those in attendance can live King's dream.

Hearing in fatal crash

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Tuesday for Robert Eric Hall, a lawyer charged with driving drunk at 90 mph and causing the Thanksgiving Eve wreck in South Whitehall Township that killed 22-year-old West Point cadet Anthony Severo. Hall, who has also worked as a sports agent, had a blood-alcohol ratio that was more than twice the legal limit, township police said in court documents. The hearing is set for 1 p.m. before District Judge Patricia Warmkessel in South Whitehall.

Change in government?

At its Wednesday meeting, Easton City Council will consider placing a referendum on the May 16 ballot asking voters if they favor a study to change the form of city government. Some city officials say a change would allow more flexibility in the kinds of taxes that can be levied or would permit council to hire an administrator, rather than an elected mayor, to run the city. Council meets at 6 p.m. in City Hall.